American Katie Hursey Wins Tiszaujvaros World Cup

The United States’ Katie Hursey and Switzerland’s Florin Salvisberg won today’s ITU World Cup Tiszaujvaros finals.

Read the race recaps from Triathlon.org below:

Women’s Race

Katie Hursey (USA) made it back to back World Cup wins with another controlled performance at the ITU World Cup in Tiszaujvaros. Hursey, a winner in Palamos last month, ran a brilliantly tactical race – keeping herself in the chase group before exploding on the run to take victory.

Aileen Reid (IRL) finished second and Sara Vilic, the Croatian racing for Team ITU, completed the podium.

Hursey said: “I’m elated, to win World Cup is pretty cool but to win two…I’m so happy right now.

“Once I got on the right bike path I was quite confident. We had enough of a gap yesterday to take it easy so I always felt confident. I just picked one person off at a time and was able to hold it and stay controlled and it worked out.”

Out on the course, Lucy Hall (GBR) felt no effects from her semifinal efforts yesterday as she powered through the swim once again to exit the water in first place, ably supported by Natalie Milne (GBR). The two had a gap of sixteen seconds and made a speedy get away on the bike to take advantage.

They worked well together for the first two laps – creating a gap of thirty seconds over a chase group of eight, which included, Natalie Van Coevorden (AUS), Anne Tabarant (FRA), Erin Jones (USA), Hursey and Reid amongst the chasers, who themselves were 20 seconds ahead of the third group.

Hall and Milne were setting a scintillating pace, relentless in their pursuit of a sizeable gap given their concerns about their running power. But after five laps the gap stopped increasing and the chase group were able to maintain their own pace and match the leaders.

Behind them the remaining field merged together but they just couldn’t cut into the leaders gap and entered T2 almost two minutes behind Hall and Milne. Hall and Milne had entered T2 with a 35 second lead over the immediate chasers. By the end of the first run lap Hall was still in front, but Milne was being hunted down by a rampant Reid, Hursey and Vilic.

With Hall and Milne tiring, the trio kept their focus and passed the British duo by the end of the second lap. Behind them the charge on the run was still coming from the likes of Van Coevorden and Tabarant, but Hursey kept her rhythm and crossed the line for victory.

The American said: “Tiszy is an amazing place, the atmosphere and the support from all the people. It’s nice to have that that support when you’re doing triathlon in a place where the crowds are full.”

Men’s Race Florin Salvisberg (SUI) won his first ITU World Cup race with a superb performance in Tiszaujvaros. Salvisberg, who was crowned U23 European Champion earlier this year in Holten, continued his fine form in 2013 with a confident performance, emerging from the water amongst the leaders, a position he would not relent over the course of the race.

In a day of firsts, Francesc Godoy (ESP) secured his first World Cup podium and the returning Frederic Belaubre (FRA), in his first ITU race of the year, finished third to complete the podium.

Salvisberg said: “I feel great it’s so cool to win here, it’s awesome. This year is really going well, I have the run that I didn’t have last year and I feel great. We worked really well together, we had a good group yesterday and today too. The Americans worked very hard.

“On the second lap it was just me and Godoy. Belaubre was coming from behind and I know that he is a good sprinter so I kept going. I was first to go and then Godoy caught up but I felt good and kept it going.”

In a race where the swim is more important than ever, Tommy Zaferes (USA) was fastest out the water, Salvisberg followed him along with Ben Kanute (USA), Wian Sullwald (RSA), Alexander Bryukhankov (RUS) and Belaubre.

These athletes were involved in a lead group of nine who quickly set off establishing a good lead on the bike. By the opening two laps, the gap was over thirty seconds as the lead group worked well together to maintain the pace. But behind them, the remaining field were also working well together, maintaining their rhythm and refusing to let the leaders increase the gap.

Lap after lap followed as the two packs went at each other, with a few seconds gained here and few seconds lost there. It was nip and tuck but the gap of around 35 seconds remained in tact as the leading nine entered T2.

Cheered on by the famous Tiszaujvaros crowd, the chasing pack roared off the bikes onto the run, hunting down the front nine. Declan Wilson (AUS) and Gregory Rouault (FRA) were particularly impressive as they attacked the leaders and made their way up through the field.

By the end of the second lap, Godoy and Salvisberg were stride for stride but all eyes were on Belaubre who was running terrifically in third. Salvisberg and Godoy could not afford to rest on their laurels but they remained controlled and, having each led for a spell, it finally fell for Salvisberg to take the lead on the final lap and win his first World Cup.

Belaubre took a nostalgic podium in third with Wilson (4th) and Rouault (5th) just running out of road having posted the two fastest run split times of the day.